Immortal
by Zorro xx
Summary: A dark figure haunts Faith in her dreams. Under reconstruction. It is complete, but large portions will be changing. Bear with me. Chapter 1 now reconstructed.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer_: Loosely based on the characters and genius of Anne Rice.

_**Immortal**_

_Chapter 1_

Faith bolted down the still bustling nighttime streets of New Orleans, dodging people as she went. She turned a corner, narrowly avoiding running into a tall man with a long brown coat. Instead, she collided with a short, squat woman with a tight gray bun. The woman threw her a look of contempt and stalked off, muttering dark curses. Breathless, Faith slowed her pace to a walk. She glanced behind her. Only the crowd, oblivious to her dilemma, met her eyes. She sighed with relief, and continued toward her apartment. As she stepped crossed the street, she noticed the familiar shadow keeping pace with her across the street. She ducked into the nearest alley and darted to the other end. The homeless man at the end grumbled when she jumped over his legs. She gave him a hurried apology and kept running. She didn't need to look back to know she was still being pursued.

As she turned the corner onto the next street, she knocked over a trashcan, causing a racket which echoed down the alley. The same homeless man yelled, but she kept running. She could feel herself winding down. It had been too long since she'd been to the gym. She turned down another alley and slowed to a stop. She leaned against a wall. Turning, she found herself face to face with the dark figure she'd been running from.

The apparition was tall and clothed in a long, black, hooded cloak. The rest of its features were hidden in shadow. That is, all but its eyes, which glowed an eerie, piercing blue that sent chills down her spine. She froze in place, staring with defiance into its eyes. Fear melted away her bravado. She wanted now more than anything to run, but could not move. Her mind raced, but her legs stayed where they were. Panic began to set in. And suddenly, she was free.

Her legs now moved for her. Before she could even fully comprehend what had happened, Faith was only a block away from home. Dodging a group of smoking teenagers, she turned up her street and nearly flew up the porch stairs to her small townhouse. She fumbled with her keys before unlocking the door and entering. Once inside, she locked the deadbolt and fell into a heap on the floor. _What does that thing want with me? _She thought. She still shook with terror and adrenaline.

Standing up, she started to meander through the house, savoring its silence, while at the same time, despising it. She grabbed her iPod off the kitchen table and turned it on. She wandered up the stairs to her room. The music slowly began to calm her nerves. She mouthed the words to the song as she turned on the light. Her bed welcomed her as she stretched out and shoved her face between the pillows.

She took her book from the bedside table and was beginning to read when she realized that she wasn't alone. She didn't need to look around to know that no one was actually there, but she could feel the now familiar presence. As she stood, she put her book down. She left the room and crept down the stairs as quietly as she could. Without really thinking about it, she checked each room, knowing she wouldn't find him there. Nothing seemed to be wrong in the kitchen or office, so she went into the living room and looked around.

Suddenly, she ripped the headphones out of her ear, and stood in the center of the room, looking at the front door. No sound came from it, but she knew he was there. Against her better judgment, she cautiously approached the door, placing one of the headphones back into her ear. With one hand, she touched the door. His cold presence felt stronger even through the thin barrier.

Slowly, Faith opened the door. Instantly, she regretted it. The sinister creature stood in front of her, eyes glowing brighter than ever. Once again, she found herself unable to move. The music played on, though she no longer heard it. Her mind was fixed on the figure that stood in front of her. She thought about closing the door before it decided to chop her up with a hacksaw and all that remained of her was a newspaper headline. Before she could even try to move, though, the phantom began to reach up, revealing two long-fingered white hands tipped with nails like glass. It touched her face gently. She shivered. The hand then moved to his hood. He began to remove it.

Faith woke with a start, gasping for breath, and sitting in a pool of sweat, the song on her iPod still running through her mind. She slowly became aware that she was shaking, and that tears stained her cheeks. Nervously, she scanned the room. Noticing nothing and no one, she unsteadily crawled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. She rinsed her face with cold water, and grabbed the towel next to the sink. She dried her face, before looking at her reflection in the mirror.

The person she saw startled her. Her black hair, normally straight and hanging to the middle of her back, was mussed and tangled from her fitful sleep. Her green eyes stood out harshly from her tan skin. Even with her lively color, she looked sick. She brushed her long fingers through her hair, which hardly accomplished taming the mess. Staring into her own eyes, she leaned on the counter.

_Thank God that was only a dream_, she thought. _Now if only I could believe it. _Sighing, she went back to her room and crawled back under her warm, soft quilt.

She thought about her dream. This hadn't been the first time she'd had it. In fact, it had come to her four times in the past week. Each time was slightly different, but the apparition was always there.

She pushed what she had seen from her mind. There was no way she would sleep if she kept thinking about that nightmare. _It was just a dream_, she thought, to try to convince herself. _Just a dream… _Closing her eyes, she tried to get back to sleep. _Or was it…?_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer_: The characters in this story, other than Faith, belong to Anne Rice, not me.

_**Immortal**_

_Chapter 2_

A shadow moved slowly over the doorframe as a car passed in front of the house. Faith jumped, half expecting it to be the strange figure in her dream. Now that she was back in bed, she was exhausted and annoyed that the dream would not leave her mind. She rolled, taking the sheets with her, and faced the wall instead of the door. _It's only a dream_, she told herself for the millionth time. She was no closer to believing it now than she had been the first time. _Everything will be better in the morning_. She closed her eyes and held a pillow close to her. _It's only a dream_.

Finally, she began to sleep. The apparition once again entered her dream. _I wouldn't be so sure of that, __Cherié_. Its French accent echoed through her thoughts. Instantly, she was thrown into consciousness. Clutching the pillow to her chest, she sat up straight.

"Who's there?" she asked in an unnaturally high octave. She hoped the room was empty.

No one answered, much to her relief. Sighing, she leaned back onto her pillows, and pulled the covers back up around her. Frantically, she glanced all around her. She breathed in the sweet aroma of vanilla on the pillow as she kept it close to her, and tried to relax. As her eyes began to grow heavy, she found herself startled awake once again. _Do I scare you, Faith?_ The voice asked quietly. As he said it, she realized that his voice did not seem to be coming from the room at all. Instead, she was hearing him in her thoughts.

_Oh, great. Now I'm going crazy, __and__ having dreams about crazy psycho stalkers!_ She rolled her eyes and giggled nervously, scanning the room once again.

_What? You've never heard someone speak into your thoughts before?_ This time, the voice was definitely **only** in her head, and made her jump higher than ever. The voice laughed. _And you think my voice is just a figment of your imagination. You think you're going loony! I _**_love_**_ it! _Faith glanced at the doorway, half expecting someone to walk in.

"Who are you?" She asked the empty room.

Silence.

"Who **are** you?" She repeated with more urgency.

_Speak telepathically, if you would, __Cherié__. I need to know you can do it_, the voice murmured.

**_Fine_**, Faith thought, now angry. _Who are you?_

_I am the man in your dream._

As if someone dropped a bag of flour on her chest, Faith found herself suddenly unable to breathe. _What do you mean? _She thought. Her heartbeat had increased to an impossibly high tempo and her hands began to shake and sweat.

_What do you think I mean?_ He asked. Just then, the dark shadowed figure appeared in the doorway.

She gasped. One hand flew to her heart, and the other to cover her mouth.

_Why are you so afraid?_ he asked.

_Why are you so intent on catching me?_

_Because I want you, Faith_, his voice spoke slowly.

_You want... me? _she thought cautiously.

_Yes._

_I... _

The phantom took a couple of steps forward. _I want you. Your life. Your love. Your trust. All I want is you._

Panic had overtaken her body. She couldn't move. She could hardly breathe. A cold sweat had broken out on the back of her neck.

_Why? _She thought, staring wide-eyed at the phantom.

_Just trust me. _The voice spoke softer than ever.

The figure approached the bed; he stood next to it, looking into Faith's eyes. The eerie blue eyes glowed almost grey, penetrating her every will. Her grip on the pillow began to loosen.

_Trust me._ He reached up, revealing the same stark white hands Faith had seen in her dream. A silver ring on the middle finger of his left hand reflected slightly in the dim light that came from a streetlight just outside her window. Both hands gently grasped the edges of his hood. He began to remove it. Faith slipped into the darkness. The world around her disappeared. The vanity, the door, the Phantom, all gone.

The apparition stopped. He let his hands fall back to his sides. Now, he gazed down upon Faith's peaceful form. Her sweet heart-shaped face, framed by soft black hair, her beautifully curved neck, long and elegant, that perfect spot, just below her jaw, warm and fragrant. Long arms extended out into lengthy fingers, still clutching a small purple pillow gently.

Carefully, he lifted her body, as not to wake her. This trip would be much easier if she remained unconscious. He carried her down the small hallway and down the stairs of the tiny house. He stepped out onto the front porch, and took a deep breath of the warm, humid nighttime New Orleans air. He walked out into the middle of the yard and without a second thought, rose into the sky, defying every law of nature and gravity.

With the edges of his long cloak wrapped around her, he held Faith to him. She moaned quietly in her sleep. He held her tighter.

"You're mine."


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer_: Loosely based on the characters and genius of Anne Rice.

_**Immortal**_

_Chapter 3_

Shivering, Faith pulled the covers tighter around her. She kept her eyes shut tight in attempt to stay asleep. _Why is it so cold in here?_ she thought, burrowing deeper still. _Did I forget to pay the heating bill? _She opened her eyes and sat up, about to go check the thermostat. Halfway out of bed, she stopped cold and gasped.

Around her was spread a red velvet quilt with a red silk pentagram stitched carefully into the center of a black background. Around that was a red border with black howling wolves embroidered into it. Around that was another border, this one black with the phases of the moon portrayed in red. Supporting her head were soft goose-feather pillows covered in black silk, which matched the sheets beneath the quilt. Surrounding the bed-twice the size of her own-was a soft, black, barely translucent canopy.

Through a chink in the canopy, she could see a stone room with a tapestry hanging from the wall. She could not make out the full design. Beside the tapestry was a candlabra, whose candles flickered ominously. The edge of the large wooden door was visible next to that. As she noticed it, the door opened with a creak.

Wide-eyed, she scrambled out of the bed, shoving the canopy out of her way. She stumbled over her feet, then stood next to it. In the open doorway loomed the familiar dark figure.

_Oh, great. It's _**_him_**_ again. _Faith thought before she could stop herself.

_Ouch, _his soft voice sounded almost bored.

Realizing her mistake, Faith lowered her eyes in embarasment. She focused on the soft grey marble beneath her feet.

_You're still afraid of me,_ the phantom spoke in her thoughts. He began to glide slowly toward her. She still kept her focus on the floor, tracing the patterns in the marble with her eyes. The black hem of the his interrupted the line she followed. A cold hand came up under her chin. He lifted it so her eyes now met his.

_Sit, _he whispered into her head.

Without thought, she sat obediently.

_I need you to trust me, Faith,_ he said quietly.

_Well, it's a little late for trust, now, don't you think? I don't even know your name. I don't know where I am, and I don't know why it is that you've brought me here. All I know is that I've dreamt about you for weeks, then suddenly you're in my bedroom. And before I know it, I'm waking up here, and I don't know why, _she thought, irritated.

_I'll tell you anything you want to know, __Cherié__. Just ask._

She paused for a second. She was surprised that he was so willing to give himself away. _Okay, _she thought. _First, can we please, _**_please_**_ stop _**_thinking _**_at each other?_

_You can stop speaking telepathically anytime you wish._

"Thank you," Faith said aloud. She blinked in shock at how loud and imperfect her voice seemed.

"Yes, that does seem to be a problem with speaking aloud. Our voices are so pure in thought, but in voice, they sound simply awful," the phantom responded, much to her surprise.

"Can you _not_ do that?" she spat with venom.

"I apologize. It is simply habit to look into the thoughts of others. If it bothers you, I will not unless granted such permission."

"Thank you."

"Anything for you, Faith," the man replied. She looked at him curiously.

Just then the door burst open. There stood a man with dark, shoulder length hair and deep green eyes.

"Mon Dieu! Lestat! What are you doing?" he exclaimed in fury.

"Go away, Louis! I'll explain later." The phantom growled from beneath his hood.

"You do not just bring random girls here unless you plan to-" he stopped, glancing at Faith before returning his eyes to the cloaked man. "You don't bring random girls home. Do you _not _remember our agreement?"

"Louis, go away, or I will _force_ you to leave," the man threatened. He was now standing.

The man called Louis rolled his eyes and grumbled. "Fine, but when you're done-"

"Louis, who's that?" a young girl with tightly curled blonde hair and big blue eyes stepped into the room. She pointed at Faith. "Did Lestat bring home another prostitute?"

The man in the doorway colored slightly. "No, Claudia. This is just a..._friend_ of Lestat's." He glanced down at her extended arm, still pointing at Faith. "Don't point!" He said in a rushed whisper, gently lowering her arm. "She will be _leaving _soon, I'm sure. Come, now Claudia, we should leave them alone." He led the girl out of the room, giving the phantom a disapproving look as he went.

"But Louis," the girl whined, "I want to watch Lestat-"

"Shh, Claudia," Faith heard the dark-haired man whisper as the door closed with a dull thud.

Faith stared at the door for another moment with her mouth wide open. Finally, she closed her mouth, and turned to look at the phantom. "What-"

"I will be sure to introduce them to you properly in a little while. First, I much introduce myself. I-" He pulled the cape off in one smooth, graceful motion, and allowed it to fall to the ground "—am Lestat." Before her stood a tall man with blonde hair. He had soft grey eyes reflecting his black velvet suit. His face and hands were pale white. His hair sat just above his shoulders. "I am all you want, yet what you despise," he continued. "I am a dark angel, a demon, a deadly charmer, a snake. I am your nightmare and your dream come true. I suppose you could call me a walking contradiction." He paused to pick up the cloak and took his place back beside Faith on the bed. He gently lifted her chin and looked into her eyes. "And more than anything, Faith. You need to know that I am a vampire."


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N_: I want to thank everyone who commented on my last two chapters. If it weren't for you guys, I'd only be half done with this. I also want to apologize for this taking _way _longer than I had planned. Hopefully, I can get Chapter 5 up faster. I've made some changes to the previous chapters, as well, if you want to see those. Thanks again, guys!!

_Disclaimer_: Except for Faith, these characters are not mine. They belong to the one and only Anne Rice.

_**Chapter 4**_

Lestat put his hand back on the bed and diverted his eyes to avoid hypnotizing her.

She continued to stare at him, a look of disbelief spreading over her soft features.

"You don't believe me," Lestat said, glancing up at her, and quickly back down.

"No…it's not… well… no, I don't."

"You don't believe me? You don't believe that I, Lestat de Lioncourt am an evil, murderous demon?" He let out a slow breath. "You don't believe me," he whispered. "Give me your hand." He looked up at her without making eye contact and held out his hand.

Faith hesitated a moment. She started to place her hand in his, but pulled back. "Wait… why?"

"I'm going to prove it to you," he answered patiently.

Slowly, she placed her hand in his. He wrapped his cool fingers around it, and brought it up to his mouth, which he opened, revealing two long, sharp incisors. She gasped and gripped the quilt beneath her.

He took her index finger and gently pierced the skin with one of his fangs. A small squeak emitted from her mouth as several drops of blood spilled from her finger onto the bed. Lestat ignored the bloodlust that rushed over him in a wave with its scent.

He licked the blood from her finger, before penetrating his own, and rubbing the red liquid over her wound. It healed instantly. He released her hand. She brought it back to her and held it to her chest.

"Now do you believe me?"

She only nodded, and studied him with a look of mixed fear and curiosity.

"Now," he began, "You asked of Louis and Claudia?"

"Yeah," she whispered as if she was afraid to speak.

"They are my fledglings. Louis, I created out of pity, and a desperate need for companionship. Claudia, I created to soothe Louis after he nearly drained her and left her to die. We rescued her, brought her home, and made her one of us. She is our daughter, the porcelain doll- the porcelain demon doll. That was over two-hundred years ago."

"Holy- wow," Faith mumbled.

"Now, we had our disagreements, as most families do. In fact, not even a century after our coven was formed, Louis and Claudia became restless, and desperate for answers to why we exist. I couldn't give them what they wanted to know, so twice, they tried to kill me- obviously without success- and sailed to Europe in search for the answers they craved.

"When they came to Paris, they met Armand and the Theatre des Vampires, who gave them as much information as possible. However, they disapproved of their attempts to kill me, and the creation of Claudia in general. In the end, they tried to kill Claudia, again, to no avail, and Louis was left to wander the world alone.

"Meanwhile, I was recovering from the failed attempts at my murder.

"Years later, Louis and I rejoined each other's company, after rarely seeing each other since Claudia's death. This was only about twenty-five years ago, and it wasn't for another ten years or so that Claudia, too returned.

"Since then, we've been a happy family- for the most part."

Faith nodded to signal that she understood, but was lost in all of the information she had just learned. It was all beginning to sink in, and frankly, it exhausted her.

Seeing this, Lestat began to stand up. "I should let you sleep, Cherie. You've had a rough couple of nights. I shall see you tomorrow evening," Lestat said to her softly, but loud enough that she could hear. She nodded again, stifling back a yawn. He took her hand and kissed it, before setting it gently next to her, and drawing the canopy closed. He exited the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

In the main chamber, Lestat found Louis and Claudia reading peacefully in front of a roaring fire. Louis sat comfortably in an armchair reading a worn book that Lestat couldn't quite make out the title of. Claudia was sprawled on the floor on her stomach, surrounded by several books she had gotten bored with. Spread in front of her was a work of Aristotle.

When he entered Lestat entered the room, Louis looked up as if to acknowledge his presence, then back down to his book.

"Did you kill her?" he asked quietly.

"No," Lestat responded, taking a seat in a large black chair and closing his eyes.

Louis looked up. You didn't kill her? You _didn't _kill her? Have you lost your god-forsaken mind?"

"No," he replied calmly.

"Then why did you bring her here? Are you just going to prolong your torture to that poor girl? Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with your food?" Louis spat.

Lestat smiled. "My mother plays with her food as much as I do, if not more. _Thank you_. And no, I'm not planning to torture the girl. I'm considering giving her the Dark Gift."

Claudia looked up from her book, a look of horror in her sweetly demonic eyes. Louis gaped at him with a similar look.

"You're not serious," Claudia gasped. "Lestat, _tell me_ you're not serious," she nearly pleaded. Her perfect white cheeks colored slightly with anger.

"I'm only considering it, Cherie, calm yourself. Besides, she could be like a mother to you."

"I don't need a mother, Lestat," she pushed herself up, and sat on her knees. "We tried that with Madeline. It _didn't work_. I need my fathers, and my fathers _alone_. Please, just kill the girl so we can continue with our lives.

Lestat was silent. Louis had settled back in his chair, but Claudia was sitting straight up with her feet under her, glaring at Lestat.

"I need to hunt," she said suddenly, and with a slight rustle of her skirts, she was gone.

Louis stared after her. "She shouldn't be out alone," he said, leaving the room almost as quickly as Claudia.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer:_ Lestat, Louis, and Claudia do not belong to me. They are the amazing work of Anne Rice.

_Author's Notes:_ To those who have been waiting for Chapter 5, here it is. Sorry it's so short. I'll make up for it next chapter, which will be up a lot quicker than this was, as it's already written, and only needs to be typed.

_**Immortal**_

_Chapter 5_

Claudia rushed through the halls of the mansion; blood tears stinging at her eyes. She had to get away from Lestat, and she knew exactly where to go.

Hearing Louis behind her, Claudia rushed up the nearest flight of stairs. She stepped into a corner that was hidden from view, and waited, standing as still as possible, until she heard the doors of the Lioncourt Mansion close with a loud crash that echoed throughout. Only then, did Claudia dare to move. She set off down the hallway closest to the stairway with her destination in mind. She kept track of Lestat's location in the mansion as she went.

She reached a door at the end of the hallway. Not bothering to knock, she entered the room silently. She sat in a soft red chair by the bed, and curled her legs up under her before reaching up and firmly grasping the silver rope that belonged to the black canopy, drawing it open. Once the bed was completely revealed, its occupant woke, startled. She looked around the chamber anxiously before her eyes landed on Claudia. She gasped and sat up. Claudia gazed back at her as innocently as she could.

"What do you want?" the girl asked, unable to control her voice cracking.

"Only to talk, Faith," Claudia replied without changing the sweet look on her face.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, the tremble in her voice becoming more pronounced.

"I'm like Lestat. I can read your thoughts."

"Oh," Faith was slightly annoyed.

"Do you know why you're here, Faith?" Claudia allowed her words to take on a slightly venomous quality. Her innocent look molded into one of slight boredom.

"Not really," Faith responded slowly. She regained a little of her confidence, and sat up a little. "Lestat said he wanted me, but he didn't explain any further."

Disappointment flickered over Claudia's eyes for an instant and returned to boredom. "I see, and do you know what we are?"

"Vampires," Faith was now very confident.

"You clearly do not fear us," she sounded annoyed. "What? You find us romantic? Beautiful? Nothing more than harmless little animals that only need blood every once in a while?"

All confidence Faith had just gained deflated instantaneously, along with the answer in her throat.

Claudia continued, "Do you not think that I could simply walk over to you and drain your life from your body?"

"I…"

Claudia raised her small hand to stop Faith and pressed on. "Do you know what a vampire means when he says he wants you, Faith? No, wait. Do you know what _Lestat_ means when he says he wants you? He means one of two things," she stood up, allowing her dress to fall to the floor gracefully around her feet. "One," she raised a single finger on her small hand, and took a step forward." He wants to kill you," she drew the tiny finger across her neck, "Two," he wants to make you one of us," she said in a whisper, touching her sharp incisors.

Faith stared back at her with fear in her eyes.

Claudia's falsely innocent smile returned, "You see, Faith, what Lestat has told you, is that you don't have much longer to live, either way."

"Is becoming…a vampire… really all that bad?" Faith asked nervously.

"It's different for all of us. I find it to be pure hell, but I was made at far to young of an age. Louis and Lestat however were created at a good time in their lives. The prime of their youth. Louis still hates the monster he has had to become. Lestat however loves what he is- well, usually he does. He loves the strength, the blood, the power. So. I suppose it isn't so bad if you end up like Lestat, but if you end up like Louis or I did, it would be awful." Claudia glanced toward the door and back at Faith.

"Do you know what Lestat plans to do with me?"

"That I do not," Claudia replied quickly, glancing at the door again. "Why don't you ask him yourself?" She moved toward the door, "But no matter what he does, Faith, I wish you the best." With that, she slipped out, leaving Faith alone once more.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the characters, except Faith. The others belong to Anne Rice. Please don't sue me…

_Author's Notes:_ As I promised, a longer chapter, and sooner than even I expected to get it up. Thank you to those who have commented! Comments are major motivation!

_**Immortal**_

_Chapter 6_

Faith stared at the chamber door, still slightly nervous, and shocked. How was she supposed to react to the information she'd just gotten? She half- played wit the idea of going to find Lestat himself, but was stopped by a soft knocking on the door.

Quickly, she feigned sleep. Seconds later, she heard someone enter the room. She opened her eyes slowly and acted drowsy as she focused on the man before her.

"Hello, Lestat," she said quietly, allowing her voice to crack as it would have if she had really been asleep. She smiled at him, and did her best to keep from thinking about Claudia.

"Hello, Faith," he returned her smile, and walked around to the right side of the bed. He sat in the same chair Claudia had only minutes before.

He glanced around her at the bed, "Did you open the canopy?" he asked, gesturing to the silver cord.

"Oh, yes. I don't really like being closed in while I sleep," she answered, trying not to panic as she lied to him. She, again, tried not to think about Claudia, her little hand wrapped tightly around that shimmering rope. She also pushed away the thought of preferring to sleep closed in. The tighter the covers, the more secluded the bed was, the safer she felt. It had been that way since she was a child.

"Ah," Lestat said softly.

"What brings you up here?" Faith asked innocently.

"I wanted to make sure Claudia wasn't up here doing anything irrational," he responded. "She doesn't seem too happy with your presence here."

"I see," she said awkwardly. She fought to maintain normal breathing.

Lestat eyed her curiously. "There's something you're hiding," a smirk spread over his flawless white face.

"W- what do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," his smirk widened. "Every few seconds I see a flash of something coming to your mind before you push it out. You don't want me to see it. What are you hiding, Faith?"

"Nothing," she said too quickly.

"Ah, see, there it is again. You're thinking about your childhood, begging your mother to tuck the covers in tighter on your bed, surrounding your self with your stuffed bears. You do like being closed in when you sleep. You lied to me," his smug grin faded. "It wasn't you who opened the canopy."

Faith looked away, trying hard not to think of Claudia.

"Aha!" Lestat exclaimed suddenly. "Claudia! It was Claudia who opened it. She was here. Why?"

Faith screwed her eyes shut. _Damn_.

"What do you plan on doing with me?" Faith asked desperately, trying to digress from Lestat's question.

"What?" he asked, astonished.

"Are you planning to kill me, or make me one of you?" Faith sat up and finally found the courage to look at Lestat. "Or, are you just going to play with me? A pawn in your twisted little game?"

Lestat stared at her blankly, his grey eyes taking on a shade of red.

"CLAUDIA!" he roared suddenly, storming out of the room.

Faith hurried out of the bed and rushed out of the room. She ran out the door, and found herself in a hallway with several other doors. The door she had come from was at the end of the hall.

She sped out of the hallway into a large room, attached on one side to a side to a large staircase, and on the other side to a small door. Across from her were four other hallways. Next to the door was a grand piano. She stepped into the middle of the room, admiring the size of the space, before another deafening "CLAUDIA" coming from the lower level brought her back to her senses.

She tiptoed to the stairs, and stopped at the top step, listening to the angry voices that echoed through the mansion.

"… you have to bring her here, Lestat?" Faith recognized Claudia's voice, now more shrill than it had been before. "You can't tell me it's because you wanted to kill her. I'm not stupid, Lestat, I know you."

"So you should know that I only want a companion."

_"You have us!" _Claudia shrieked. Something glass, and undoubtedly expensive hit a wall with a crash. Faith jumped.

"Yes, I _know_ I have you and Louis, but I want more." Faith's eyes widened. "You and Louis have always had each other. I want someone just for me. And besides, you could use a mother."

"I don't need a mother! I'm almost--"

Faith jumped as a cool hand touched her shoulder. She almost screamed, but stopped when she heard a soft "shhh…" in her left ear. She turned her head slightly to see Louis with his head right next to hers.

"Come with me," he whispered almost urgently. He reached down and gently gripped her wrist. He led her forward to the door across the room from the staircase.

Through the door was a small hallway, which lead to another staircase. Louis quickly led her up the stairs, which lead to yet another door. Pulling a small skeleton key from around his neck, Louis unlocked the door. He opened it and led Faith through the threshold.

What she saw when she entered could only be described as the ultimate haven. The walls of the tiny room were covered in bookshelves, spreading to the high ceiling, which domed into a small circular window. Moonlight poured through the window onto two small, yet very comfortable looking armchairs, each of which was surrounded by stacks of books. Between the two chairs was a small table with a gas lamp on top of it. A quill sat next to the lamp. She gawked at the tiny space for several minutes before Louis' soft voice cut through her reverie.

"Faith?" She blinked and looked at Louis, who now sat in one of the chairs. He had lit the lamp. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"Yeah, he responded breathlessly. "I… wow."

"Welcome to my library," Louis said, smiling at her reaction.

"Your library?" Faith asked, moving forward and sitting in the other chair.

"Yes," he gestured to the room. "I found this room shortly after coming here with Lestat. He hardly used it. Hell, he hardly knew it was here. So, I claimed it as my own. I come here when I need to get away from them," he pointed at the door.

"It's beautiful," Faith gushed, shill in awe.

"Yes, I figured you would appreciate it," he said, his smile widening. " I also figured it would be best to stay away from Lestat and Claudia. They fight like this all the time, and it's only a matter of time before--" a loud 'bang' echoed through the mansion, shaking the structure. "—one of them storms out."

Faith stared with wide eyes at Louis. "So… you…"

"Wanted to get you out of the way of their fury? Yes. They can be very dangerous when they're angry. All vampires can."

"Oh," Faith whispered. She sat silently for a moment. "Are you going to ask me questions like Claudia did?"

"No, I don't think it's necessary. I'm positive that Lestat is going to make you his fledgling, whether Claudia and I want him to or not."

"Do you want him to?"

"I'm not completely opposed to it, as Claudia is, but I don't necessarily think it's the greatest idea Lestat's ever had."

"And do you think that becoming a vampire is all that bad?" Faith questioned.

"Did I hate becoming a vampire? Yes. But now that I've had over two hundred years to come to terms with the being I am, it's not so bad."  
"Do you think I'll have a hard time with it?"

"It's difficult to say. Being exposed to us for even as long as you have been, you may not have a problem with your transition. Then again, you may still have a rough time with it."

Faith nodded, then blushed. "I'm sorry. I've been practically interrogating you."

Louis smiled. "It's quite all right. I know Lestat probably won't answer much, and while I can't speak for Claudia, I'm perfectly willing to give you the answers you need."

"Thank you," Faith said quietly, the blush on her cheeks growing deeper.

"You're quite welcome, Faith," he responded.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Faith examining the tiny room, and Louis watching her amazed expression.

A sharp intake of breath by Louis brought Faith's attention back to the center of the room.

"What's wrong?" Faith asked him.

"The sun is about to rise," Louis said, sounding surprisingly calm considering how shocked he'd seemed before. "Come, I should take you to your room." He stood up, and led her from the room, locking the door. She followed him back down the stairs and through the small door, which Louis closed quietly.

"All right, Faith, I will see you this evening. For your safety, I'm going to ask that you do not wander he mansion during the day, at least for today," Louis told her once they reached her room. "Oh, and I wanted to give you this," he pulled the skeleton key from around his neck. "Just in case you need to get away from Lestat or Claudia… or both of them. You're welcome in my library any time," he smiled, placing the key gently in her hand, and wrapping her fingers around it. He turned her hand over, and kissed it politely. "Goodbye, Faith. I will see you this evening." He smiled again, and turned to leave.

"Louis, wait," he stopped, turning back to her. "Thank you," she said, embracing him.

"You're welcome, Faith," he almost whispered.

She broke the hug and took a step backwards.

"Until this evening," Louis said, as he turned to leave once more.

Faith smiled, "Good –um – morning, Louis."


	7. Chapter 7

The key was still clutched in Faith's hand when she woke that evening to the sound of music

_Disclaimer:_ The only character I own in this is Faith. The rest are based off of the characters of Anne Rice.

_Author's Notes:_ I AM SO SORRY!! I realize I haven't updated in forever, and I apologize profusely!! I have had so much writer's block over this chapter, and the next, so it's taken me forever. The bad news, however, is that the next chapter will be the last, to avoid ruining the story by pushing it farther than I can. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this and commenting, I love you all!!

_**Immortal**_

_Chapter 7_

The key was still clutched in Faith's hand when she woke that evening to the sound of music. Her first thought was that she left her iPod on, but that couldn't be it; her iPod was at home.

Curious, she climbed out of the bed and moved toward the door. The music grew louder with every step. Opening the door, she realized that the music was coming from the grand piano in the large room down the hallway.

She cautiously walked down the hall, toward the piano. When she reached the ballroom, she came to the realization that it was Lestat playing. She took a few tentative steps forward before Lestat's voice stopped her.

"Ah, Faith, you're awake," he said without turning from his song.

"Yes," she responded timidly. She sat down next to Lestat on the piano bench. She watched his fingers dance across the keys before she spoke.

"I should apologize for my behavior last night." Her words came out a whisper.

"Don't," Lestat said abruptly. "You have every right to know my intentions. After all, it is your life on the line."

She ignored his crude remark. "What is it you want to do?"

"I want to make you one of us," he began. "However, I need your complete, unwavering trust."

"But I do trust you," she protested.

"Not enough, cherie. Right now, you're still of the mindset that I'm going to just turn to you at random, and bleed you dry." He turned to her as if to demonstrate this, ceasing his melody shortly. She cringed visibly, emitting a small squeak. "My point exactly." He continued playing, leaving Faith in stunned silence.

"No sooner?" She whispered a second later.

"No."

"Why did you choose me anyway? Surely you would have known my fear of you."

"You have a strong soul. When I do change you, you will thrive. You will be able to kill ruthlessly if need be, but you will never lose control of the human that remains in all of us. You won't be the typical monster." He stopped playing. "You're beautiful. You're perfect." He touched her cheek lightly. "You'll make the ideal vampire." He pulled his hand away. "Now if you'll excuse me, love, I need to hunt."

He was gone in an instant. She looked around, only to find herself alone at the piano. She plucked out a few notes before standing and going to Louis' door. She went through, and climbed the stairs to his library. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, shutting it quietly.

The library was empty and almost eerily silent.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of ancient books. Scanning the shelves, she noticed a wide variety of French novels, and a few in Latin, with titles she didn't understand. A moment later, she found a book of poetry, this time, in English. She pulled it down and began to flip through the dusty pages.

She found _The Raven_ and began to read it, taking it in with the intense fascination she's had when she was younger. She'd memorized it in high school, recited it for the talent show sophomore year, and still woke up repeating it to herself.

"'Nevermore,'" Louis' voice came suddenly as she read the last line. She jumped. He let out a small laugh from behind her.

"Wh- where did you come from?" she asked, looking around to find him. She looked over her shoulder to see him right there.

"You didn't notice me because you seemed very into your recital of _The Raven_."

She blushed. "I was reading aloud?"

He nodded, grinning.

"Oh." She mentally smacked herself in the forehead. _Way to go, Faith, randomly start spewing poetry in the middle of what you think is an empty room…_

She glanced over her shoulder, and jumped when she realized Louis was still standing _right there_.

He laughed silently, and caught her gaze. She was slightly shocked when she didn't feel the hypnotic pull, which she felt when looking into the eyes of Lestat. She was amazed, instead, by the shocking green of his eyes, the golden ring that outlined the emerald, and enhanced the gold flecks that danced in the dim light.

He brushed a piece of hair from her face and smiled. "It's fine, Faith. Recite all the poetry you want in here." His smile grew to reveal his teeth.

She smiled back comfortably, and found herself leaning back into him. He easily supported her and breathed in her scent, wrapping his arms gently around her. He moved her hair away from her neck, and placed a few light kisses there, right along her pulse. She relaxed further into his embrace.

"Forget Lestat," he whispered into the crook of her neck. "I want to make you mine." He bent closer, placing a few more gentle kisses to her skin, before he bit down.


	8. Chapter 8

Faith curled up on the floor in agony, waves of pain surging through her body

_Disclaimer: _I only own Faith, and she owns herself. The rest are the original work of Anne Rice.

_Author's Notes: _Okay, so here it is: the last chapter. I apologize again for the delay in updating, and for ending it so abruptly, but I didn't want to damage the story itself by pushing it farther than it could go. Thank you again to all my readers!!

_**Immortal**_

_Chapter 8- Final Chapter_

Faith curled up on the floor in agony, waves of pain surging through her body. She screamed, and grasped the carpet, squeezing it with increasing force. She gritted her teeth, and groaned, rolling over.

And then, it was done.

She lay on the floor, breathing hard, staring at the ceiling. Slowly, her eyes began to change from their normal green to an almost glowing, catlike green-gold color, and her hair shone. Sharpened canine teeth formed, and she winced as they poked her lower lip.

Louis was next to her a moment later, stroking her arm soothingly with cool fingers. She sat up slowly, and looked at him in bewilderment. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close to him, kissing the top of her head gently.

Slowly, Louis stood up, and pulled her up with him. She looked around her in fascination at her surroundings, now, somehow so much different than they had been before. Louis gently tugged on her hand, and began to lead her from the room, saying something, which Faith barely registered, about hunting. She followed, still gazing around her with great interest.

Hours later, the two returned, and found Lestat standing at the front door with his arms crossed. Claudia stood behind him, a look of amusement on her face, which seemed anything but childlike.

"_What_ have you done, Louis?"

"Lestat?" Louis gave him a look of innocence.

"You've made her into one of us," he spat venomously, stepping forward, and lifting Faith's chin with two fingers. "I thought we agreed that _I_ would be changing the girl?"

"I changed my mind."

"Obviously."

"I wasn't going to wait for you to do it for me. I couldn't wait that long," Louis snapped stubbornly. "You were just going to prolong it for her, make it seem absolutely _terrifying_ for her."

Lestat laughed. "This, from _you_, Louis? I am shocked. You are actually _supporting _her becoming a vampire, when you, for so long, would not accept it for _yourself_! Ha! You ate _rats_ for ages, because you did not want to kill another human, and now? Look, you've created another vampire!" He grinned evilly, showing off his teeth. "Louis, Louis, Louis… I'm so shocked, Louis…"

Claudia suddenly stepped forward. "Well, I like her," she said briskly, and went to take Faith's hand. She looked up at her. "I think Louis made a smart decision."

Lestat dramatically placed a hand over his mouth. "Aw, look at that," he crooned sarcastically. "A little family. How precious." He wiped away an imaginary tear. "Well, if you don't need me, then, why don't you go find your own home?" he spat, dropping his act immediately.

"Lestat, no." Faith stepped forward in a moment of courage. "We're not leaving you. You need us as much as we need you. We won't leave you."

"You? _You _need _me_, Faith? I doubt that. You and Louis, just take Claudia and leave my house. Don't act like you need me, don't lie to me."

"I'm not lying."

Lestat looked away from Faith, and back at the other two. "You guys wanted to be rid of me before. You even tried to kill me- twice. So why _now_, when I'm telling you to go, will you not."

"We learned something when we were away from you, Lestat," Claudia said. "We learned that we needed you more than we had thought. So we came back. Eventually, we both came back. And we need you."

"No you don't. You need Louis. You've always needed Louis."

"How many times do I have to tell you, Lestat? I need my _fathers_. Both of my fathers. And who says I couldn't use a sister, of sorts?" She looked back at Faith with a grin.

"Lestat, you're my family. Claudia is my family. But Faith is different. I love Faith."

Lestat glared at them defiantly, and walked away. But never again, did he tell them to leave, and eventually, they became, once again, one happy family.


End file.
